Film I MUST see this year

There isn’t a director working in Hollywood today with the form of Paul Thomas Anderson. Every film he makes challenges and delights me in equal measure. Add a mutton-chopped Joaquin Phoenix anti-hero and a swirling Pynchon plot and you’ve got what sounds like cinema GOLD. In fact, I have a ticket booked this weekend.

White God (Feb 27th)

A Hungarian parable, where a girl’s dog is taken away and returns to wreak revenge. Looks like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes meets Old Yeller.

Cake (Feb 20th)

Ever since I saw ‘The Good Girl’ I have been crying out for Aniston to nail down a challenging acting role. This is that role. Add to that an angelic Anna Kendrick and stellar supporting cast I am counting down the days til this comes out. Her character seems so damaged and funny, like Rachel Green without the spoiling parents. And this isn’t a glamour piece, put it that way.

Chappie (Mar 6th)

One of my favourite films growing up was Short Circuit. Neil Blomkamp seems to have taken the robot with a soul concept to a whole other level in his South African near future vision. I like the casting; Jackman’s murderous A.I. doubter will lead his rough and ready ED209-esque murder bots to bear on the likable Chappie. I was bummed to see that he never got the Alien job he hoped for but this will more than make up for that.

Appropriate behaviour (Mar 6th)

New York mumblecore meets Persian bisexual comedy piece that’s liked by Girls writer/director Lena Dunham. So much so she cast first time writer/director/star Desiree Akhavan as a bitchy writer in her HBO series. The quote that sold it for me ‘Like Annie Hall, if Woody Allen was a persian Bisexual’

The Voices (Mar 20th)

Ryan Reynolds is funny, we know that. He’s had a bit of a quiet few years, barring his voice in a leaked Deadpool clip. This black comedy about a man whose cat drives him to murder will hopefully get him back into the mainstream.

Lost River

Not content with being a violent art house hero and number one dream guy on most women’s hit list, Ryan Gosling is an exciting film director too? From the trailer, Lost River looks like offspring of David Lynch and Nicolas Winding Refn. The cast is outstanding and with “visual poetry that would make Terence Malik moist” (Dazed and Confused) this is firmly on my MUST SEE list.

Listen up Phillip (Jun 5th)

I love the look of Jason Schwartzman and Elizabeth Moss being mean to each other in this highbrow indie offbeat comedy. Jonathan Pryce adds a gravitas in a turn, surely inspired by Hemingway.

Fantastic 4 (Aug 6th)

If Josh Trank (coolest name in Hollywood) manages to bring the same feeling to his reboot of Fantastic 4 as he got in the gritty desaturated sci-fi action movie Chronicle it’s bound to be good. If he, at the very least, avoids the camp mess of the previous films then all’s good. The casting is great too, especially Kate Mara as Sue Storm. Excited.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E (Aug 14th)

I feel like this film shouldn’t work. I loved Snatch but I’ve not been the biggest fan of Guy Ritchie’s stuff of late. In addition to that I think the caper is an easy thing to get wrong. Add to this the American Armie Hammer playing a russian and British Henry Cavill playing a Yank. It’s just not going to work is it?

Or so I thought. My fears swept have been aside on the strength of this trailer, it looks sexy and cool, everything you want a spy film to be. Bring it on Ritchie.

Spectre (Oct 23rd)

Skyfall was simply outstanding and most of the key players are back. I’m interested to see how Hoyte Van Hoytema steps into Roger Deakin’s shoes, the cinematography was the best bit of the last one.

Highrise (UK release date not known)

Everybody can agree that Ben Wheatley is the most exciting British film maker at this very moment. His back catalogue packed with gems, from the tortured TV black comedy “Ideal’, to the utterly divisive ‘Kill List’ via the irresistible ‘Sightseers’ everything he touches is fascinating and troubling in equal measure. His film ‘A field in England’ was the most surprising film i’ve seen in recent years, bloody minded and visceral it made me glad I was not around in the 17th Century and made me terrified of Michael Smiley.

Onto Highrise – based on a JG Ballard novel, Tom Hiddleston’s Doctor moved into an exclusive highrise and must contend with the residents he finds inside. With the likes of Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans and Elisabeth Moss this is going to be one hell of a movie.

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Knight of Cups (Dec 11th)

Terence Malik is a funny director for me. Tree of Life for example was as baffling as it was enjoyable. Narrative and three act structure it seems are always required but I left the cinema feeling uneasy. I’d still thoroughly recommend it though. This year ‘Knight of Cups’ seems to make more sense from a narrative point of view and I’ve never seen Christian Bale do a bad job of a movie. I’d like to hope I’d come out of this one with more answers than questions. Bonkers name though.

<Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Dec 18th)

JJ Abrams, a return to less CG, no meddling Lucas, the rebirth of Star Wars? Consider me excited.

(Nb JJ just announced that he might bring this forward to the SUMMER eeeeeeep)